


Love Is the New Black

by Meero94



Category: In the Flesh (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Based on a Tumblr Post, Fluff, Hints at depression in the past, M/M, Stubborn Kieren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2014-10-14
Packaged: 2018-02-21 04:09:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2454224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meero94/pseuds/Meero94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kieren lives in a world where, once you fall in love, a red tally mark appears on your wrist. The tally mark turns black if your love is requited but scars if the person you love dies. </p><p>Unfortunately, Kieren already has a red scarred mark down one wrist, so he's understandably less than thrilled when a new red line appears adjacent to the former one. The fact that it appears courtesy of Simon Monroe doesn't help much either. Not when he doesn't even <em> like </em> the man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Is the New Black

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovelies! I've had a request setting in my inbox for a Siren AU and just as I was trying to think up something to write, [this tumblr post](http://sulkybbarnes.tumblr.com/post/100008896397/oddbagel-jaxtellerhelps-tuckedshirts) appeared on my dashboard and I knew it was the one. Well, it was far less dramatic really -and I was avoiding my pathology textbook, but details. Anyway, I hope you like what you read, and thanks to [winchesters-dorky-angel](http://winchesters-dorky-angel.tumblr.com/) for giving me a request to begin with. 
> 
> Warning: There's very brief mention of Kieren being depressed and maybe suicidal in the past. It's barely there but if triggers you then please don't risk it. I'll write you your own fic if you want. 
> 
> This work was edited by me and me alone, and I'm a very tired sleep-deprived uni student, so feel free to point out any typos or mistakes. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one. It's quite sad really.

 

For as long as Kieren could remember, the people he knew had tally marks on their wrists. The marks didn’t always look the same for everyone –some didn’t have them to begin with- but every mark meant one thing for sure; that you’ve had a run in with _love_. It was ridiculous to say the least but it was true. A mark appeared in red whenever you fell in love, turned black if your love was requited and scarred when your partner passed away.

Kieren’s first mark went through two stages of the three; the first one and the last.

That’s what made his reluctance to accept the marks understandable. He hated the reminder they made, whether it was by their presence or the lack of it; on strangers, the marks told stories that Kieren had no right to know, just as they told more about him than he’d like any stranger to know. He hated seeing an old man with a red line down his wrist signaling a life of heartache. He looked away when someone flaunted their dark mark for the world to see. And he couldn’t even breathe with the pain of seeing someone’s scarred mark because it looked much like his own. So, yes, call him a cynic but Kieren refused to acknowledge the marks as anything but an inconvenience. He never wanted to have another one of them ever again lest it leaves him with another scar to hide.

Life, however, had other plans for Kieren. Said plans came in the shape of the pale skinned, blue eyed Simon Monroe with his thick Irish accent and stupid world views. Kieren hated him on principle –despite the traitorous red line that appeared on his left wrist, only weeks after first meeting the man.

“You know, for someone who’s so boring, your life reads a lot like a rom-com. I think it’s some ironic joke on the universe’s part to balance out your bitterness.” Jem mused, her grin widening at Kieren’s indignant glare. He really should have made sure that she was out of the house before taking off his ever present jacket. No one but him had known about the second mark’s appearance –not even his best friend Amy- until Jem saw it a few moments ago by accident. And now his annoying little sister wouldn’t stop smiling like the floating cat that taunted Alice. “I mean for all I know you don’t even leave your dorm room.  How the fuck did you get a second mark?”

“First of all, who have you been talking to about me? I do leave my room. All the time.” _For classes,_ he added silently. “And second, it’s none of your business anyway. And it’s rude to stare at people’s marks, Jem.” Not that the fear of being rude had ever stopped his sister before.

“Oi! Get that stick out of your arse, would you?” Jem rolled her eyes in a show of exasperation, but Kieren picked up on the hint of guilt in her expression. “I’m just glad you’re back in the game is all. Had us all a bit worried there for a while.”

Kieren knew that Jem’s words were a gross understatement. His parents almost didn’t allow him to go back to uni after Rick’s death, and Kieren had to beg and blackmail his way back there with promises of calling back home twice a day. Even with the daily phone calls, Kieren’s family didn’t leave him alone for long; Jem had made it her life’s mission to visit him as many times as humanly possible during a school week, and Amy –although having only just met him at the time- recruited herself to the Make Sure Kieren Doesn’t Off Himself Squad and stuck with him through thick and thin. Kieren loved them all fiercely for it.

“I know,” Kieren answered, softer now and more subdued. “But I’m good now. I _am._ I don’t want you to worry.” Which wasn’t completely a lie; he had as many good days as he had bad ones lately. Jem simply didn’t need to know the specifics.

“I really hope you are,” His sister smiled at him, glancing at his red mark for a second. He saw hope mixed with something like fear in her look and felt the sentiment mirrored on his face. He knew as well as she did that nothing could guarantee his mark turning black. The knowledge both thrilled and scared him in equal measures. “And don’t worry; I’m not saying anything about _that_ to mum and dad. M’leaving that pleasant endeavor for you. Though I’d like to be there for when you tell them, maybe with some popcorn at hand.”

“Thanks, Jem. That’s very kind of you,” He offered back dryly, even though he meant what he said. A little bit. “Now go away, I have a project to finish. Not all of us can spend their weekends roaming around and snogging random people.” 

“You only wish you can snog as many blokes as I do, Kier.” Jem said while making a rude gesture at him. She hopped off of the armchair where she sat moments ago and started walking towards the door, calling to him over her shoulder. “And speaking of, I’m visiting this week to see this bloke of yours. Got to have the sister’s approval before you go turning his mark black doesn’t he?”

“I don’t even know if he has a mark,” Kieren muttered in annoyance, then added more loudly. “I’m never going back to the dorms now. I’ll just move back in here and keep you as far away from him as possible. Would scare him right off, you would.”

Jem flipped him off again then left the house.

*****

Kieren sat on the cold ground right across from his class hall. He couldn't be bothered to find a bench somewhere and his class started in fifteen minutes, so he stubbornly ignored his freezing bum and glared at the watch’s digital numbers to move faster. He was so engrossed in his stare-off with the arm-watch, in fact, that he didn’t notice someone approaching him until they came to sit beside him.

“You’re brooding,” Simon observed with a half-smile. He did that a lot; smiled at Kieren crookedly, his blue eyes dancing with warm mirth. It made Kieren’s stomach do funny things and annoyed him to no end. Simon’s mere existence annoyed Kieren. Or so he kept telling himself. “You seem to do that a lot. I’m starting to think it’s simply an integral part of your personality. That or I always catch you at the wrong time.”

Kieren refrained from telling Simon that on the contrary; he had to bite down a deranged smile every time he saw him. Instead, he shrugged and gave Simon his best unimpressed look.

“No fan club following you around today? I’d have thought it revoke-your-membership worthy for them to leave you alone for five minutes,” He looked around as if searching for Simon’s usual entourage. He might have been crankier than usual today, but it was only because his stupid sister told his stupid best friend about the new mark and now both Amy and, by association, her boyfriend Philip won’t stop nagging him about it. Still, he told himself, he had no reason to be nice to Simon anyway so it didn’t really matter.

“They’re not a fan club,” Simon answered with what sounded like bemusement.  He had an adorable little frown on his forehead that signaled his confusion, and he tilted his head as if studying Kieren. For his part, Kieren itched to sketch the expression then mentally kicked himself for wanting to do it. “They’re merely people who agree to the same things I do. We uphold similar beliefs, so we... _hang around_ together.” 

“Hang _out,_ ” Kieren corrected while trying to stifle down a laugh. Simon’s attempts at using modern language, and not sounding like the old man he really was at heart, amused Kieren a great deal. The older boy always sounded so serious and immaculate that slang words sounded strange coming from his mouth. Like an ancient person trying to repeat the name of some fancy device he heard the youths talking about. “And you and the Brainwashed don’t hang out. You speak and they look at you like you are the Second Coming, while nodding earnestly. It’s creepy.”

“You’re being especially difficult today,” Simon sighed in defeat, obviously ignoring Kieren’s jab at his so-called acquaintances. “Is something the matter?”

 _Yes! Why do you speak like someone out of a Victorian novel and still manage to make it sound appealing?_ Kieren wanted to say. 

“I’m just stuck on a project,” He offered instead. “Can’t focus on it long enough to get anything done and it’s been driving me mad.”

“Maybe you should take a break and clear your mind. Have a coffee in the little shop near the library, maybe? Amy tells me that they have good scones.” Simon smiled. His smile warm and charming and the very reason he always got people to agree with him. That and his low voice and, as much as Kieren hated to admit it; his good delivery of whatever point he made –not that Kieren agreed with Simon’s political views or his taste in authors or even the music he likes, but that didn’t make Simon anything less than smart and all too charming. Annoyingly so at times.

“Kieren?” Simon asked for what seemed to be the second time. Kieren felt a blush creeping up his face.

“Sorry, was thinking of… um, things,” And _wow_ , go Kieren, way to be eloquent. He shook his head then looked back at Simon. “You were saying?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to have some coffee. At the shop, I mean. With me?” Simon finished with the ghost of a smile, his cool charade slipping long enough to show a hint of nervousness.

Kieren thought about saying _no_ but one look at hopeful blue eyes, accompanied with the faint pulse he felt in his wrist, made him bite his lip and glance down at his watch again.

“I have a class in five minutes,” He started, and Simon’s features seemed to fall although he maintained the not-really-there smile. So Kieren hurried out his next words, praying that he wasn’t setting himself up for more heartache. “ _But_ make that a lunch invitation, and I think I can make it. Will have to bring my work with me but, you know, necessities.”

At Kieren’s sudden change of heart, Simon seemed to lose his ability to talk for a few seconds. He stared at Kieren with shock and something close to awe, until Kieren felt his cheeks warming and looked away.

“Just so we are clear, Kieren… I was asking you out.” Simon stated, as if Kieren needed the clarification to know what he was getting himself into. It occurred to Kieren then that maybe he was a bit too mean to poor Simon, but he couldn’t really help it; it was hard to let your guard down once you’ve been burned before.

“On a _date,_ ” Simon added; emphasize clear on the last word.

“Yes,” Kieren rolled his eyes, allowing his small smile to show this time. “I got that. And I said I’d be there –unless you didn’t count on me agreeing?” Kieren raised his eyebrows, thoroughly enjoying Simon’s gobsmacked expression. The prickle under his shirt sleeve increased the more he stared back at Simon and Kieren wanted nothing more than to check the skin there. See if the color had changed since he last checked it or simply remained the same.

“What? No. I did want you to say yes. Obviously I did.” Simon spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe. The sun came out of the east that day, the sky was always some shade of blue and Simon wanted Kieren to say yes to him. All of the former appeared to be facts as far as Simon was concerned. “So lunch. I love lunch. Favorite meal of the day.” Simon added hastily, his lips shaping a pretty smile and one that Kieren haven’t seen before. It looked bashful and somewhat hopeful; both emotions at odds with Simon’s usual confident, gloomy demeanor.

“Great. Then lunch it is,” The blond beamed at Simon and, to his delight, Simon’s eyes widened and he rubbed absently at his right wrist. “Well, I better get to class. I’m guessing yours is near here too?”

He was hoping that he could walk Simon to his class because _screw it_ ,Kieren thought. He did nothing halfway. If he was going on a date and throwing caution to the wind, then he was sure as hell doing it properly.

It wasn’t like he didn’t know Simon well, so it wasn’t completely a risk that he was taking. Because Kieren did know him. He had more arguments with Simon in the past month than he had had with anyone else his entire life. They almost never saw eye to eye on the little things; like Simon’s ugly sweaters –that Kieren secretly adored- or Kieren’s hatred for politics or whether or not Great Expectations was a good book. But despite all that, Simon was intelligent and patient and he never pushed his beliefs on Kieren. He listened well and tried to compromise at times and he looked at Kieren as if he were the most beautiful thing Simon had ever seen.

 Kieren hadn’t even allowed himself to contemplate any of this until seconds ago, but now that he did he could see why the red line took residence against his skin. He felt his emotions soaring up and threatening to overflow from him, as if they have been waiting for him all this time to finally _get it._ The itch against his pulse point, right where the mark sat, increased in what felt like triumph on the mark’s part.

 _Stupid universe. Fine, you win._ Kieren thought to himself with the equivalent of a mental smile.  

“Uh, actually,” Simon said, suddenly looking embarrassed, and Kieren had to focus to recall what he and Simon had been talking about. Kieren had asked him about his class. Right. “My lecture is on the other side of campus. I just wanted to see you. I haven’t argued with anyone in days -since you were away this weekend, so…” Simon trailed off, seemingly sheepish for admitting this. Although it didn’t stop the customary twitch of his lips; as if he couldn’t help but smile all the time –be it a self-deprecating bitter smile or a soft hopeful one.  He made a mental note to find out more about Simon’s smiles and why they didn’t always reach his eyes.

 “Well,” Kieren grinned, feeling happy and light for the first time in weeks. “I’ll be sure to give you an earful when we meet for lunch today. I heard that there was a documentary about anti-war groups last night, and I’m sure you have a lot to say about that.”

“It’s a date.” Simon chuckled, his laughter easing into a fond smile as Kieren started walking backwards in the direction of his next lecture. “I’m going to be late for class. Good thing I have my fan club to cover for me.”

“ _Followers_. We’re calling them Followers.” Kieren confided, a glance at the watch telling him that he was a few minutes late for his own class. “Now go. I’ll see you in a couple hours, we can argue terminology then.”

“I’m sure we will.” Simon threw him one last smile and then turned around and walked away. Kieren could see him pulling up his right sleeve the moment he turned, so he did the same and pulled up his left one.

There, right next to the faded red scar, rested another one against Kieren’s skin. This one looked new, beautiful, and very much _black._

Kieren couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This fic marks my very first contribution to the Siren fandom (aside from a few silly tumblr posts) so I hope I didn't muck it up completely.
> 
> In case you liked this and want to read more, send me requests on sulkybbarnes on tumblr!
> 
> Comments/kudos are most appreciated, thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> UPDATE: I was asked to make a second part for this in Simon's POV (an idea I quite like) so keep an eye out for that. I might add it as a second chapter or a part of a series.


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